Scrolling through Facebook, I noticed a woman, Ella, liking and commenting on all of Sam’s posts. Her comments felt oddly familiar, so I checked her profile and saw that Sam had liked every one of her photos. Then Lily ran by and pointed at her photo, saying, “That’s Ella! I see her every week with Dad.” My heart stopped.
Lily explained that every Wednesday, after school, Sam and Ella took her out for ice cream and to feed ducks, calling it their “special secret.” I was devastated. I thought Sam and Lily had their father-daughter time, but there was a third person involved.
The next day, I followed them to the park. There, Ella, Sam’s high school sweetheart, showed up. They hugged, and Lily ran to her. I felt sick. They went to our favorite café, and I watched them together like a family.
I finally confronted Ella at the café. Sam and Ella explained that she had reached out to him for advice about adopting a child after her husband passed away. She’d wanted to be sure she was ready, and Sam had suggested spending time with Lily. Ella was moving to Arizona to adopt a little girl named Maya.
Ella apologized, saying she never meant to cause trouble, and Sam spoke about how much he admired me as a mother. She was just looking for guidance, not an affair.